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The Affair Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Happiness Interrupted

Despite an arrest, we're still no closer to knowing who really killed Scotty Lockhart.

It's hard to imagine where The Affair Season 2 will take us, but given the jet propulsion to toward what we assume to be the characters' present day in The Affair Season 1 Episode 10, we won't be suffering for a lack of flashbacks.

For the most part, what I got from the season finale are a lot of thoughts on what's coming next.

Time continued to be relative, as we flashed back and forward to at least three different time frames. Even then, it's unclear exactly when events take place.

It was shocking to see Noah a single man, taking the women of the city by storm. I can only guess it's his artistic side that appeals to them all, because he doesn't offer much from what I can see.

Not only did he finally connect with the first girl we saw hit on him in The Affair Season 1 Episode 1, now engaged, but he was banging strangers left and right, as well as teachers he worked with. While there were brief scenes of him writing his book, it wasn't until he was sent to adult school detention (is that real? WTF?) we learned he was merely starting chapter 3.

A little discipline was good for Noah. Using his time wisely, he finished his novel, which Harry believed was extraordinary. Harry went so far as to create an artificial bidding war on Noah's behalf to score him half a million for the rights. Little did Noah know at that time he was probably sealing his fate in the eyes of Det. Jeffries, since we learned prior the detective has been using the novel to aid in his investigation.

While Noah was conquering womankind in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Alison was at a retreat with Athena. They both spent their four months in a very different way, but neither of them could stop thinking about the other.

When Harry asked if Noah missed his wife, Noah's thoughts went directly to Alison instead. Alison wanted to try spending some time on her own, but things took an odd turn thanks to Helen's mother.

I find it very odd how so many of the events on The Affair happen simultaneously. Helen called Noah over to see the video of him beating the snot out of Scotty in the abortion clinic and after an argument, she was asking him to come back. They immediately confronted Whitney about Scott and their desire to press charges for statutory rape. That same night they received notification from Alison that Whitney had gone over.

Within hours of all of that happening. Alison arrived home, had her own confrontation about her marriage with Cole and wound up at the ranch with Whitney trying to figure out how to cover their asses with regard to Scotty, only to be joined by the Solloways.

Considering we now know Noah and Alison are happily living in a swanky part of NYC with a baby girl, it's almost unbelievable their stories are so very different from one another. Once they discovered they were being questioned, why weren't they sharing their stories? Or are they each looking out for themselves above all others?

The recollection of what happened in the kitchen was so wildly different, yet I'd think that would be the one confrontation Alison and Noah would want to have straight for the detective. They weren't even close, utilizing entirely different people and motivations to reunite them. That leads me to believe they both remain snakes in the grass.

It's difficult to think either of them has much integrity and you really do get what you ask for. I didn't believe Alison for a second when she told Noah she'd get him out of it. If she was involved in Scotty's death in any way, why would she put herself in jeopardy of being arrested herself? With a daughter, at least one of them needs to remain free.

The evidence against Cole is pretty damning. Bribing someone to keep their mouth shut is a no-no. He could have done it to protect himself, Alison, Whitney or Helen. If Whitney heard Scotty ask if "they got rid of her" she might want to run him down. I can't imagine a really great scenario in which any one of them wanted to kill Scotty for cause otherwise.

Next season I'd like to flash back to Whitney and Scotty. Surely knowing more about their relationship will help clarify things. What ever happened with the drugs? What did Oscar do during the missing months? There are so many questions.

What's no longer a question is whether Noah and Alison chose each other. Indeed they did. People who have affairs can find happiness with each other, and unless the very small snippet we saw of them together is yet another ruse, it appears they found it.

If The Affair hadn't been renewed, would you have just assumed all evidence pointed to Noah as the killer? Would that have been enough for you? I suppose it could have been some sort of karmic justice for less than savory people. Treat others poorly and as soon as you find your happiness it will be ripped out from under you.

Other things of note:

To frustrate the time line even further, when Alison was once with Jeffries, she told him she needed to pick up her kid from school. I got the impression she was putting down a baby before Jeffries arrived. Is there more than one child or are we in a completely new time frame?

Jeffries lied to both Alison and Noah about his private life; he's with a man! No wife at all. That was shocking, right?

Josh Jackson was grossly underused as Cole. I hope Season 2 sheds more light on him as his scene in the kitchen from Alison's perspective was stunning.

Since we had to see Alison and Noah together, I'm glad the scene was interrupted by his arrest. Did anyone want them to wind up happy? I was rooting for everyone but them.

And there you have it. Would this have been a satisfying ending, and do you think the message of this finale changed when they were renewed? What are your thoughts on what Season 2 might bring?